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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · bay · tear · march · rush · temple · pitch · cell

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. march — the month
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. march — the month
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rush — hurry
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. march — music
  24. cell — a phone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com